Alleged female pimp charged with sex trafficking in NYC’s ‘Market of Sweethearts,’ extorting $800 a night from victim

A suspected female pimp who forced another woman into prostitution at Queens’ notorious “Market of Sweethearts” and extorted as much as $800 a night from her is now facing charges, prosecutors said Monday.

Valezka Echeverri, 31, stands accused of operating a sex trafficking scheme that began in November 2022 when she allegedly paid for a woman from Mexico to come live with her in New York City.

Echeverri, of Jackson Heights, then threatened her into a life of prostitution along Roosevelt Avenue, while making her meet a daily quota or face physical beatings, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

“Human trafficking is a violent, dehumanizing trade that exploits and destroys lives,” Katz said in a statement.

“The defendant is accused of terrorizing numerous victims along Roosevelt Avenue, forcing them to engage in sex acts and profiting from their misery.”

Echeverri was also alleged to have coerced the victim to rob the men she was sleeping with to ensure she met the $800-a-night quota.

The defendant was also slapped with charges for extorting and threatening another victim to pay her $100 a day to engage in prostitution at the “Market of Sweethearts” in 2023, prosecutors said. She allegedly threatened to run over that woman with a car if she didn’t pay up or went to police for help.

But this wasn’t the pimp’s first run-in with the law. In November 2024, she was indicted for allegedly forcing a transgender woman into prostitution at the same infamous location.

The 31-year-old was arraigned on Friday on 11 counts, including three counts of sex trafficking, two counts of grand larceny, two counts of promoting prostitution in the second degree, and promoting prostitution in the fourth degree.

She faces a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted on the top charges, the DA’s office said.

Echeverri is scheduled back in court on Sept. 18.